CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DELAYED AND IMMEDIATE-ONSET COMBAT-INDUCED POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

The aim of the current study is to examine the clinical characteristic s of war-related disturbances among veterans with delayed and immediat e-onset post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), One hundred twenty-five veterans who sought help for war-related disturbances, 8 years after the 1982 Lebanon War, filled out the PTSD Inventory, Impact of Event S cale, and SCL-90, Their scores were compared with those of 370 treated combat stress reaction casualties who filled out the questionnaires a year after the same war. Findings indicate that veterans from the del ayed-helpseeking group suffer from a higher rate (92 vs, 59%) and a gr eater intensity of PTSD, more intrusive tendencies, and more severe ge neral psychiatric symptomatology than those of the immediate-helpseeki ng group. These findings indicate that a fair number of combatants sti ll seek help for mar-related disturbances almost a decade after the wa r. The complex relationship between delayed-helpseeking and delayed-on set PTSD is discussed.